Rickshaw Travel

ABTAATOL Protected

  • Destinations
  • Family holidays
  • Travel guides
  • About us
  • Blog
My Travel Plan
Loading...

Your travel plan is empty!

Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan. Click on 'My Travel Plan' to see what you've added and send it to us. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day.

Get started!

Added so far...

We'll create your dream holiday

    Next, review & send us your travel plan for your quote

    Request your quote

    Or view/email a copy of your travel plan

    View your travel plan
     Your next steps

    1. Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan
    2. Click the Request your quote button to send it over to us
    3. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day

     Your next steps

    1. Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan
    2. Click the Request your quote button to send it over to us
    3. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day

    • Destinations
      • Asia
        • Bhutan
        • China
        • India
        • Japan
        • Nepal
        • Sri Lanka
        • Tibet
      • South East Asia
        • Borneo
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Laos
        • Malaysia
        • Myanmar
        • Thailand
        • Vietnam
      • North America
        • Canada
        • USA
      • Central America
        • Belize
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Guatemala
        • Mexico
        • Nicaragua
        • Panama
      • South America
        • Argentina & Antarctica
        • Bolivia
        • Brazil
        • Chile
        • Colombia
        • Ecuador & Galapagos
        • Peru
      • Europe
        • Greece
        • Iceland
        • Italy
        • Lapland
        • Portugal
      • View all destinations
    • Family holidays
      • Asia
        • India
        • Sri Lanka
      • South East Asia
        • Borneo
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Thailand
        • Vietnam
      • North America
        • Canada
        • USA
      • Central America
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
      • South America
        • Peru
      • Europe
        • Iceland
        • Italy
        • Lapland
        • Portugal
    • Travel guides
      • Travel guides by destination
        • Borneo
        • Canada
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Ecuador
        • Galapagos
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Japan
        • Peru
        • Sri Lanka
        • Vietnam
      • Family Holiday Guides
        • Borneo
        • Canada
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Malaysia
        • Peru
        • Sri Lanka
        • Thailand
        • USA
        • Vietnam
      • Inspiration
        • Beaches
        • City stopovers
        • Diving and snorkelling
        • Food & drink
        • Honeymoons
        • Self drive
        • Trekking
        • Unique experiences
        • Wildlife & safari
      • Where to Go When
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
        • November
        • December
    • About us
      • Discover more
        • Our values
        • Meet the team
        • How we work
        • Work with us
        • Customer reviews
        • In the news
        • Contact us
      • Responsible travel
        • Responsible travel
        • Animal welfare
        • Population Matters
        • Our Meaningful Travel Policy
        • How to be a responsible traveller
      • Travel Advice
        • Accommodation
        • Covid-19
        • Flexible booking
        • Flights
        • LGBTQ+ travellers
        • Refer a Friend
        • Travel insurance
        • Visas & passports
    • Blog
    AsiaSouth East AsiaNorth AmericaCentral AmericaSouth AmericaEuropeView all destinations
    BhutanChinaIndiaJapanNepalSri LankaTibet
    BorneoCambodiaIndonesiaLaosMalaysiaMyanmarThailandVietnam
    CanadaUSA
    BelizeCosta RicaCubaGuatemalaMexicoNicaraguaPanama
    Argentina & AntarcticaBoliviaBrazilChileColombiaEcuador & GalapagosPeru
    GreeceIcelandItalyLaplandPortugal
     
     
    AsiaSouth East AsiaNorth AmericaCentral AmericaSouth AmericaEurope
    IndiaSri Lanka
     
    BorneoCambodiaIndonesiaThailandVietnam
     
    CanadaUSA
     
    Costa RicaCuba
     
    Peru
     
    IcelandItalyLaplandPortugal
     
    Travel guides by destinationFamily Holiday GuidesInspirationWhere to Go When
    • Borneo
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • Ecuador
    • Galapagos
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Peru
    • Sri Lanka
    • Vietnam
    • Borneo
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Peru
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • USA
    BeachesCity stopoversDiving and snorkellingFood & drinkHoneymoonsSelf driveTrekkingUnique experiencesWildlife & safari
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
    Discover moreResponsible travelTravel Advice
    Our valuesMeet the teamHow we workWork with usCustomer reviewsIn the newsContact us
    Responsible travelAnimal welfarePopulation MattersOur Meaningful Travel PolicyHow to be a responsible traveller
    AccommodationCovid-19Flexible bookingFlightsLGBTQ+ travellersRefer a FriendTravel insuranceVisas & passports

    Rickshaw Ramblings

    • Browse by Destination
    • Argentina & Antarctica
    • Bhutan
    • Bolivia
    • Borneo
    • Borneo for Families
    • Brazil
    • Brighton
    • Cambodia
    • Cambodia for Families
    • Canada
    • Canada for Families
    • Chile
    • China
    • Colombia
    • Costa Rica
    • Costa Rica for Families
    • Cuba
    • Ecuador & Galapagos
    • Family
    • Greece
    • Iceland
    • India
    • Indochina
    • Indonesia
    • Indonesia for Families
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Lapland
    • Malaysia
    • Mexico
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Nicaragua
    • Panama
    • Peru
    • Portugal
    • Sri Lanka
    • Sri Lanka for Families
    • Thailand
    • Thailand for Families
    • Tibet
    • USA
    • USA for families
    • Vietnam
    • Vietnam for Families
    • Browse by Theme
    • 24 hours in...
    • Competition
    • Cultural
    • Customers stories
    • Family travel
    • Food and drink
    • Friends of Rickshaw
    • History
    • Responsible travel
    • Top tips
    • Wellness
    • Wildlife

    28th October 2014 by Ross • 4 min read

    Visiting our Local Project in Brazil

    MeaningfulTravel Responsible travel pin Brazil

    Share:

    Ceri

    Speak to our Brazil specialist, Ceri

    Enquire now

    At Rickshaw Travel we are proud to give something back to the countries we visit. When our Brazil Specialist Ross recently started a trip in Rio, he stopped by Casa de Santa Ana, the local project we support in Brazil. Find out how this great community initiative is helping to improve conditions and welfare within the infamous favela, the City of God.

    Entering the City of God

    My guide, Rodrigo collected me from my hotel in the morning to be taken to the project that Rickshaw support – Casa de Santa Ana, based within the heart of the infamous favela,‘The City of God’, made famous by the award-winning film. Whilst driving through Rio’s rich, segregated communities to reach the City of God Rodrigo explained to me how the film has caused the residents more problems than good as the association of gang warfare has left many residents unemployable and plagued by violence, with the rich community shutting their doors and eyes to the problems in the favela.

    Learning about life in a favela

    Arriving into to a dusty town with dilapidated buildings and patches of graffiti and I was to understand symbols from the gangs of the past, bullet holes still present in the walls and litter a huge problem with a lack of irrigation and education leaving it a hard place to live. Rodrigo is an energetic man who seemed to be loved by all, he explained to me that the favela has become much safer in recent years, especially when with a guide, but is not a place to walk around on your own. A large rubbish filled river splits the city within a city (and at one time the two local gangs), and along our walk we see a man selling fish on the side of the road and I hope that they have not been caught in this very river…

    colleagues hugging at casa de santa ana project in Rio, Brazil

    No one is forgotten

    We walk through dusty roads taking in the small homes and smiling faces. Arriving at a small house we entered through a side door into a quaint kitchen area with tables laid out ready for lunch. This is the Casa de Santa Ana, a project set up for the elderly in the City of God. It is the local project that Rickshaw Travel support in Brazil and is extremely important to me, as it focuses on the supporting the elderly, a cause that is overlooked in so many countries with Brazil being no exception. In an extremely poor area such as the favelas of Rio the amenities for the elderly are much worse, and with a lack of good sanitation, healthcare or even homes, this project means the elderly are not forgotten.

    Girls doing ballet in Rio

    A real sense of community

    The organisation primarily helps the elderly integrate with each other on a daily basis; giving them somewhere to go and meet, have a coffee, a decent meal and to be looked after by a loving family. They now have two homes, the second also offers healthcare for the residents, a physiotherapist on-site and a happy atmosphere.

    The work that happens at Casa de Santa Ana goes much further than supporting the elderly, whole families are involved wherever possible. Keeping children out of local gangs is a real focus and the project offers ballet lessons for both the girls and boys to learn discipline and dedication, and even a 73-year-old lady joins them on a weekly basis! The teacher offering the classes is from a leading ballet school in the city and provides her service voluntarily – she has even supplied them with over forty pairs of her old ballet shoes (if only everyone had the same sized feet!).

    locals smiling and hugging

    Changing perceptions

    After the tour through the two homes I joined the family and residents for dinner and though limited English was spoken and my Portuguese was even less I felt truly welcome into this family environment. It was really touching and perhaps with the support of the international community the City of God can become a name that is no longer feared.

    Casa de Santa Ana is a project that provides better education within the young community and gives the elderly the chance to have the support they deserve in their later life. Most importantly, it creates an environment where the residents can feel self-sufficient and active – and not lonely and isolated.

    View our Local Projects page to learn more

    You can visit the Casa de Santa Ana on appointment on our 3 day Rio trip.

    Brazil-Rio-factbox

    View our Rio trip
    CharityLocalProjectsMeaningfulTravelRioRossSouthAmerica
    Image of Ross

    Written by Ross

    View Profile

    Comments

    Next Article

    Canopy Walks & Turquoise Bays in Malaysia | Jacqueline Smith

    Previous Article

    Rickshaw Ramblers’ Brighton Big Day Out Video!

    Other articles you may like

    Responsible travel

    How You Can help Save Endangered Species In The Rainforest

    27th April 2021

    Rainforests are being eliminated at an alarming rate, here are some of the things that we can do to help save endangered species that call these places home.

    6 min read

    Read More - How You Can help Save Endangered Species In The Rainforest

    Responsible travel

    Discover India, the Rickshaw way | Watch our video!

    27th April 2016 by Blanca

    Thinking of travelling to India? We’ve put together a little video and a bunch of awesome experiences to get you inspired. Ready?

    2 min read

    Read More - Discover India, the Rickshaw way | Watch our video!

    Responsible travel

    5 ways to be a better traveller in the future

    8th September 2020 by Hannah

    From reducing plastic to managing your carbon footprint, here are a few ways that we can all be better travellers in the future.

    9 min read

    Read More - 5 ways to be a better traveller in the future
    Back up

    As featured in

    • the guardian logo
    • wanderlust logo red
    • Lonely Planet
    • National Geographic Traveler
    • Psychologies
    • The Daily Telegraph

    Information

    • Contact us
    • Booking conditions
    • Financial protection
    • Health and safety
    • Your Package Holiday
    • FCDO travel advice
    • Blog
    • Coronavirus travel advice

    Get in touch

    We're a friendly bunch and always ready for a chat so feel free to get in touch.

    Call us: 01273 322 398

    Email us: hello@rickshawtravel.co.uk

    Contact us

    Connect with us

    FacebookInstagramTwitterYouTubePinterest
    ATOL Protected ABTA Travelife

    © 2008 - 2022 | Rickshaw Travel

    Privacy Policy  |  Cookie Policy  |  Sitemap

    Call us Phone us

    Please give us your consent to use cookies

    We use cookies to ensure our website works, to give you an enhanced experience while browsing, and to enable us to use 3rd party tools that are connected to us. Read our Cookie Policy for more information.

    What are your holiday plans?

    • Our travel specialists know everything there is to know about your chosen destination. Please tell us what you're looking for below and we’ll get back to you very soon (usually within 24 hours).

    • Hidden
      This field is only shown to Rickshaw Admins, and is used for routing the form to the correct destination inbox
    • Hidden
      This field is only shown to Rickshaw Admins, and is used for routing the form to the correct destination inbox
    • If you'd prefer us to call you, please enter your phone number here
    • If you can, please share with us how many people are travelling, when you’d like to go, what you’d really like to experience, what you love doing on holidays, your rough budget, and when's best to contact you.
    • Hidden
      By signing up to the email newsletter you consent to receive promotional emails from us. You can unsubscribe at any time. We genuinely care about you and treat your data securely and respectfully. We tell you all about it in our Privacy Policy.
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.